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Following the SBCS Convention tour of the Florida Southern College Architectural District, a collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings, it was observed that a miniature of the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel had been created as a building fundraiser some time in the 1930s. Steven and Ethan C have a one in their collection. It was purchased about 2010 from a collector in Atlanta who would only part with one of a pair of bookends.

Community Collections: A Sampling of Souvenir Buildings. View at the City Reliquary Museum. Exhibit closes in September 2015. Photo courtesy of Anna Grant.

The City Reliquary Museum in Brooklyn, NY is showcasing in their Community Collections exhibit: “A Sampling of Souvenir Buildings” from the collection of SBCS President Joe Kopitz. They can be viewed in person at the Museum, on the City Reliquary Museum Facebook page and on the Souvenir Building Collectors Society Facebook page.

FACE BOOK Friend Days:

Of late, the Souvenir Building Collectors Society Facebook page has been hosting some lively discussions and a spate of interesting souvenir building photo postings requesting and receiving identifications. Carolyn C. kicked off these discussions on a Wednesday some weeks ago with a “Where Is It Wednesday?”.This has morphed into “Who Has It Wednesday?”, “and “What Is It Wednesday?” with resulting ID’s and pictures of the actual buildings.

Where Is It Wednesday? Identified as Dormition Church, Kondopoga.

Friday Finds: Resin Replica of Maine-Montparnasse Tower, Paris.

Added to this ‘Day of the Week’ conversation is “Throwback Thursday” and “Test Tarun Thursday” (Tarun V. having shown an unbelievable rapidity in identifying previously unidentified souvenirs). And Tarun has contributed another category, “Friday Finds.”

Early arrivals were treated to a walking tour of historical downtown Orlando, which included the SBCS & SBCCA Exhibit of miniature buildings in the Orlando City Hall Rotunda. This exhibit runs until May 9th.

One member found a photo of a cast metal model of the the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel that was sold to raise money for building the chapel. Have you seen one?

Cast Metal Model of the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel

The Swap Meet on Saturday gave everyone a chance to trade, sell, or buy souvenir buildings. More treasures were added to the suitcases with the annual auction and raffle. It was hard not to go home with more real estate!

Debuted in Volume 1, No. 1 (1994), of the SBCS Journal, the first publication of the feature “WHAT IS IT??? WHERE IS IT???” resulted in a quick identification. By the next issue of the Journal, 2 collectors’ had identified the pictured nameless monument as the monumental statue of Ferdinand I atop a column surrounded by four Moorish slaves. It stands in the square near the harbor in Livorno (Leghorn), Italy.

The first “What Is It??? What is It??? photo from Vol 1, No. 1 of the SBCS Journal.

In the same article that reported the identification of Ferdinand I, two more buildings were posited for identification: St. Botolph’s Church in Boston, England and a penholder desk set labeled “Addressograph-Multigraph Corp.” Also, at this time, “the mystery gift for a mystery solved” tradition began. It was suggested that the collector looking for information provide a mystery gift to the first person to solve the puzzle.

Carol D. has shared the background on the St. Botolph’s quick identification. She had a friend who came from Boston, England and Carol had visited her there and had actually climbed the “stump” as the tower is affectionately known. Her “mystery gift” arrived 6 months later from knowledge seeker, Dave F.. a set of S&P shakers of the Watchtower on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. They are still in her collection.

By the 3rd issue of the SBCS Journal, the identification of little buildings and monuments was well underway. In that issue the desk cigarette smoking set of the Dahlstrom Building was featured. Bill T. tracked down a VP of Dahlstrom Manufacturing Co., Jamestown, NY who confirmed the replica was of the administration/office building, built in 1926.

Dahlstrom Manufacturing Co Administration Bldg., Jamestown, Ny

Do you have a Souvenir Building or Monument that needs identifying? The members of SBCS are very knowledgeable and are happy to help you identify your building. If it is one that is not readily recognized, such that SBCS cannot quickly respond to your request, it may be a candidate for a “WHAT IS IT??? WHERE IS IT???” post.